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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. land — to come down
  4. lie — to recline
  5. march — music
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — of the year
  8. march — the month
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — a thing
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. march — the month
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. field — a subject
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. field — for sport
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. season — in sport
  20. land — ground
  21. field — farmland
  22. object — an aim
  23. land — a country
  24. patient — a sick person

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com